Tom Tate, Production/IT Director, Springfield News-Leader

By: Jim Rosenberg Tom Tate is proof of the value of newspaper advertising. A graphic artist by training, the U.S. Navy put him to work in media production while he recovered from injuries sustained from more dangerous duties. Once discharged, Tate saw an ad in The Times of Gainesville, Ga., for an advertising artist at the Gannett daily (now part of Morris Newspaper Corp.), applied that day, and was hired.

There, succeeding in early spec-ad production on a Macintosh ("because we could send out complete ads," he says), Tate befriended Production Director Jim Eddins, who left for Gannett's Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader in 1991. A year later, Eddins offered him the prepress manager's job in Springfield. In broadest terms, Tate attributes his ensuing success to Uncle Sam and his old boss. Tactical, deadline-driven situations in the Navy, combined with graphic arts and computer experience later on, provided a good background for newspaper production. Today, he says, "I still rely on both."

Seeking more background, and with Eddins' encouragement, Tate earned a four-year degree with honors in three years. Eddins, he says, opened opportunities for Tate to avail himself of Gannett's "tremendous" programs. Though he started at a Gannett site, he moved to Missouri based on trust in Eddins, not on any expectation of what the corporation offered.

Encouraged to find balance in "an industry that can consume you," he says nothing seemed insurmountable "because all I've gotten for 18 years is support to do it."

With the News-Leader ready to remodel and expand in 2000, it was also decided to replace its letterpress. That project exposed Tate to Gannett mentors, including Florida Today's then-publisher, Michael Coleman. "He was critical to our success," says Tate.

With Jerry Quinn tapped to run production, Tate oversaw the installation and testing of five full-color MAN Roland Geoman towers. Instead of a safe, low-page-count Monday, the first edition off the press in 2002 was to exploit its 80-color-page capacity. But, he recalls, it "launched with 94 pages" (81 in full color) thanks to a pre-run.

"Springfield had a very good press installation. Very good," says Gary Watson, retired Gannett Newspaper Division President. "This is especially true since it required a very complicated addition to the building."

Says Tate, "We've been making money with it ever since." The paper's commercial jobs have gone from none to "more than 35 consistent customers on a monthly basis," including some competing publications. "They're going to pay somebody to do it," he observes.

In spite of color and quality demands that typically boost newsprint waste, rates are lower than planned and well below last year's ? efficiency that allows Springfield to compete with higher quality at lower cost.

With the new press, says Publisher Tom Bookstaver, Tate's team was "immediately" able to win International Color Quality Club recognition. The paper has since won membership a second time. Tate, 42, says he credits Gannett's Optimum Quality Program for helping "meet our own quality standards."

To advance his group's skills, Tate created a professional development program that at a very basic level he likens to Boy Scout merit badges. Workers earn recognition on a skills grid for proven capabilities that lead to eligibility for compensation and promotion. Developed for prepress, press, building services, and the mailroom, staffers in any division may cross-train if circumstances allow. What's more, staffers are accountable for helping each other. "Everybody's a trainer," he says. "As soon as you're deemed competent, you're expected to train.

"It speaks to the strength of the organization that we could complete three major capital projects within the same month," Tate adds. On July 24 its QPS upgrade was ready; four days later its web was down to 48 inches; by month's end it was about to take a Harris classified system live. "That's enough for three years," says Bookstaver, adding that "all three came off without any significant problems."

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Hired by The Times, Gainesville, Ga., in 1988 as a graphic artist

Accepted offer to join the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader in 1992 as prepress manager

Promoted to production manager in 1998

Oversaw plant expansion, press replacement/conversion to offset printing, 2000-2002

Named production director in 2003

Added responsibility for information technology in 2005

Arranged emergency fuel deliveries to storm-stricken Mississippi dailies in 2005

Three major prepress, press projects completed last month